Can Passat Wagon owners tell me if I should or shouln't buy the car????? I also like Lexus IS, Volvo and Acura

Answer 1

DO NOT BUY THIS CAR!

I loved my 1998 Passat and put 201,000 miles on it. It was still going strong when I sold it. My 2007 performs well but it has been plagued with so many annoying problems I've grown to hate it and will never buy another Volkswagen.

I've driven a total of three of these cars more than 28,000 miles, so I have a lot of experience in them. They all have had problems. The first one I drove 5,000 miles, the second one I have driven 23,000 miles, and I drove a third 500 miles.

I was so disgusted that I wrote to the CEO and heard back from his office yesterday, October 10th. His office tells me the problems are not defects, they are "characteristics".

These "characteristics" include buzzing interior panels all over the car (from day one), a warning light that tells me to check the fuel filler door when it is tightly shut, a driver's seat that clicks and creaks, and "climate control" that is out of control.

On cold mornings the climate control blows hot air that I have measured with a digital thermometer at temperatures between 140 to 158 degrees. After the car warms up, the temperature drifts down into the 60 degree range when the dial is set to 78 degrees! I cannot maintain a comfortable temperature in my car when the outdoor temperature is below 50 degrees.

While the heat and/or air conditioning is on, there is a loud and random clicking and clunking inside the dash. It is loud enough to be heard at interstate speeds with the radio on. Remember, the CEO's office calls this a "characteristic". My wife's 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser with 60,000+ miles on it has a tighter, quieter interior. Recent advertisements in my area offered PT Cruisers for below $10,000; I paid $26,000 for my Passat.

I have had the hatch motor fail on the self-closing hatch, and have had the battery drained dead by a defective computer while I was on a business trip. The sunglass holder failed in the first week or so and had to be replaced.

A simple thing like the outdoor temperature indicator sometimes goes crazy. I've taken it back to the dealer and shown them on an 83 degree day that the dashboard indicated it was 97 degrees. A few minutes earlier the dashboard indicated up to 101 degrees.

If this car was built as well as it was designed it would be great. As it is, the car is an over-priced disappointment.

Through it all the dealer has been great, but the problems are not within their control. They have fixed several of the problems noted above, but the buzzing interior panels elude them. They too are told that the problems are "characteristics". I've got news for Volkswagen: Any characteristic the customer finds objectionable is a DEFECT.

My advice to you is NEVER, DON'T EVER, BUY A VOLKSWAGEN!

Answer 2

We have an 04 Passat wagon. Love the car. Drove it from Washington state to Iowa last summer. It is comfortable and gets good milage. It has a 1.8 turbo engine and that has plenty of power. It likes to go fast. The warrenty has been great for the few things that we had to get fixed. The dealership treats us great too. We are looking at a new one. Just my thoughts on your question.

Answer 3

VW are made in Mexico & the quality is really really bad. Lexus is nice but not sporty. Volvo is the safest brand you listed. Acura is sporty but dealers don't discount prices a lot.

Answer 4

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